UltimateGuideToHSPU PDF

The Ultimate Guide to
Handstand
Pushups
By Logan Christopher
DISCLAIMER
The exercises and advice contained within this book may be too strenuous or
dangerous for some people, and the reader should consult with a physician
before engaging in them.
The author and publisher of this book are not responsible in any manner
whatsoever for any injury, which may occur through the use or misuse of the
information presented here.
The Ultimate Guide to Handstand Pushups
All Rights Reserved.

Copyright 2009 by Logan Christopher
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Manufactured in the United States of America

Published by:
Logan Christopher
Santa Cruz, California
www.lostartofhandbalancing.com
www.legendarystrength.com
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Introduction 1
Chapter 2 - Before You Begin 3

Safety 3
Feeling Safe 5
Shoulder Stretching 5
Dislocates 5
Overhead Reach 5
Wrist Stretching 7
How to Kick-Up into the Handstand 9
Chapter 3 - Lead-up Exercises 11

Pushup 11
Elevated Pushup 13
Pike Press 15
Chapter 4 - Handstand Positioning 17

Arm and Shoulder Position 17
Hand Placement 19
Bent Legs or Straight Legs 21
Degree of Lean 23
Arching 23
Head Position 25
Chapter 5 - Basic Handstand Pushup Exercises 27

Handstand 27
Handstand Shrugs 29
HSPU - Easy 31
HSPU - Medium 33
HSPU - Hard 35
Chapter 6 - Advanced Handstand Pushup Exercises 37

Negatives 37
Position Holds 37
Isometrics 39
Partials 39
Bottom Position 39
Reverse Handstands 41
Walk Up 41
Cartwheel Into 41
Reverse Handstand Pushups 43
Diamond/Hand-on-Hand 45
Clapping 45
Table of Contents
On Fists 47
On Fingertips 49
Chapter 7 - Extra Tips and Tricks 50

Increasing Tension 50
Where to Look & What to Think 51
Identifying & Correcting Weak Links 51
HSPU/Pullup Connection 51
Weightlifting and HSPUs 52
Using Cables 53
Chapter 8 - Progression 55
Adding Height 55
Adding Weight 57
Chapter 9 - One Hand Handstands 59

One Hand Handstand - Legs Spread 59
One Hand Handstand - Legs Together 59
Assisted One Arm Handstand Pushup 61
One Arm Handstand Pushup 61
Chapter 10 - Freestanding Handstand Pushups 63

The Basics 63
Stack Progression 65
Negatives 66
Headstand Pushups 66
Free Full-Range Handstand Pushups 67
Chapter 11 - Common Problems 68
Chapter 12 - Workouts 72
Beginner Workouts 73
Intermediate and Advanced Workouts 74
Plateau Busting Workouts 75
Full Body Workouts 76
Appendix A - Step-by-Step Plan for First HSPU 77
Appendix B - Training to Reach Full-Range HSPUs 80
Appendix C - How to Build Parallettes 82

Chapter 1 - Introduction
There are several reasons why handstand training should play a role in you workout
regimen. First off, there is no better bodyweight exercise to give you great strength in the
arms and shoulders. The handstand pushup is one of the very best pressing movements
you can do. While pressing any other tool such as a barbell is undoubtedly helpful,
handstand training requires whole-body coordination, balance, and a greater control of
your entire body.
This is why many people who can press large weights cannot do a single handstand
pushup. Compare what your body has to in a handstand pushups versus a bench press or a
seated press. Its completely different. They may be able to lift a weight but if they lack
real control in their body it is not true strength.
There is great satisfaction in knowing you can press your own body up and down with
ease. And for the average person it is very impressive feat to see, especially when you get
to some of the more advanced varieties youll find in this book.
Handstands and handstand pushups work all the major muscles of the upper body.
Significantly the triceps, shoulders, and pectorals are used in the pushing and steadying of
you body against gravity. The latissimus and trapezius also come into play used mostly to
stabilize your body in the upside down position. Your entire back will be worked in this
manner. Of course your abdominals and lower back have a big impact. To do these
difficult moves you need strong abs that can support you. If you did not use your core to
keep your body tight, holding the position would be more difficult and the pushups nearly
impossible. Even your legs should be kept tight and will be trained. If at any point in
your body a limb or some muscle is kept relaxed it will become harder to press the entire
body.
Plus there are benefits from training upside down. The flow of gravity against your body
is reversed and blood is pulled into your brain. (If you are not use to this you may become
light-headed at first, so be careful.) There is plenty of evidence from yogic traditions
about the benefits of inversion where your heart is above your head and your hips are
above your heart. Even just a little inverted training can have great benefits to your health.
These exercises can be done anywhere at anytime. All you need is a wall or something
solid to kick up against. In fact if you become good at hand balancing you dont even
need the wall. Few things are as awe-inspiring as seeing a person crack off a few free
standing handstand pushups.
The goal of this book, The Ultimate Guide to Handstand Pushups, is to give you
everything you could ever want and need to know about using handstands and handstand
pushups to build strength. It covers everything from different positions, many exercises,
how to progress, tons of workouts, common problems and more, like extras on the one
Copyright 2009 Legendary Strength 1

arm handstands, freestanding handstand pushups and how to build your own parallettes.
Ive come a long way since I struggled hard to reach my goal of my first ever handstand
pushup. This guide is the culmination of my years of experience and research since that
time.
Youll want to revisit several sections over and over again as you train. Whether you can
rep out extended range handstand pushups already, or seeking to do your first one, youll
find exactly what you need in this book.
Also, for the sake of brevity in some instances youll find a couple abbreviations as you
read. HS stands for handstand and HSPU stands for handstand pushup.
Thats it for the introduction, so lets get started

Chapter 2 - Before You Begin
There are a few important details to deal with before we get started training upside down.
Safety, and equally as important, feeling safe, are big ones. Then there is the necessary
flexibility need to hold the handstand most notably in the shoulders and wrists. Lastly
well cover what it takes to get into position to begin training.
Safety
The first time you ever get into a handstand may be scary. Trying to control your body
when its inverted is no easy task at the outset. There are a few items of concern that need
to be addressed before we begin. Do not start off in a cluttered area. You may fall, and if
you do, you dont want to do it on a hard or sharp object. The best area is nothing but you,
the wall and the floor.
Heres a few stories of bad choices and the consequences. One time my friend and I were
taking turns doing handstands against a door. My friend kicked up, and too his great
surprise, the door was not closed completely. It swung open and he fell straight on his
tailbone leaving it bruised for over a week. If you are using a door make sure it is closed
and that no one will open it from the other side (that could be bad for two people).
In another instance, I kicked up against a small section of wall next to a doorway.

However, I missed the wall and fell through. I was lucky to not be injured but I may not
be so lucky next time, if there is a next time.
And then there was the time I was doing a handstand and came down. The only problem
was that my foot came down hard on a doorknob. This one hurt bad.
If you are holding a handstand and your arms weaken significantly come down to your
feet instead of crashing to your head. One time I attempted to hold a fingertip handstand
before my fingers were ready. They collapsed and I came tumbling down. It hurts so
beware.
I dont mean to scare you off with these stories. My successful handstands have far
outweighed ones in which I hurt myself, but these stories are to illustrate a point and
show you what not to do.
Just dont be stupid about it and you wont have to worry. I realize not everyone has a
wide open area around a solid wall. If you must practice in a crowded area just be careful
and dont say I didnt warn you. Pay particular attention to how you get up and come
down from the handstand.
Also in handstands it is best not to push to your very limits especially when starting out.
If your muscles decide to quit youll be dropping down and that is not a good idea.

Feeling Safe
Many people suffer from psychological barriers when first doing the handstand. Whether
from past instances or fully imagined scenarios this can get in the way and stop a person
from getting up into a handstand.
The biggest way to get past this is to take baby steps. Set yourself up in an area where you
couldnt possibly hurt yourself. Have a spotter help you up. Place cushions or pillows
under your head and around you as needed so that should you fall it wont be a problem.
Once youre able to do the handstand with this assistance all you have to do is recreate
the exercise without it. Anytime you feel the need you can go back and use the pillows or
spotter to help you out, but as you train with and without them youll become more
comfortable in the position. Soon youll be able to do it without any worry or problems.
Shoulder Stretching
Some variations of the handstand and handstand pushup require more shoulder flexibility
than others. For the most part this is when the hands are closer together and the arms
directly in line with a straight body (more on positioning later). There are many good
stretches to improve your shoulder flexibility and here are two of the best.
Dislocates
This move works your arms around in close to 360 degrees. Grab a towel, stick or rubber
cables with both hands out in front of you palms down. Start with a wide grip. Keeping
your arms locked out raise your arms overhead and to your rear all the way around. The
hardest point will be right behind your head.
As you progress in this dynamic stretch you can move your arms closer to each other. If
you can do this move with your hands shoulder width apart then you are a mutant and
have all the flexibility your could ever need in the shoulders!
Overhead Reach
This is probably the best stretch to open up the shoulder girdle. Kneel down on the
ground. Place your hands on a sturdy object like a chair, bed, bookcase about head level.
Again, keeping your elbows locked, bring your head through as far as you can go. For
best results tense up, pushing the hands against the object, then relax several times to go
deeper into the stretch.
When you start out you may need to have a wider than shoulder width placement of your
hands, but work on bringing them in over time. This same stretch can be done leaning in
against a door frame, pullup bar or similar object but you will not have the assistance of
gravity in bringing your head through.

Wrist Stretching
Doing handstands and handstand pushups require that your wrists bend back about 90
degrees. If you do not have the flexibility to comfortably stay in this position then you
will not be able to do the exercises on flat ground. There are some handstand versions
that require less bend but more on that later.
Back in high school I suffered an injury to my right wrist during my football days. I
sprained it bad and from that point on I could never apply much force with that hand if
the wrist was bent back. It hurt when I had to hit someone and generally held me back for
awhile.
About a year later, when I began working on handstands it was tough painful work. My
right wrist was not nearly as flexible as my left so any kind of handstand work became
more difficult. Eventually, through working on it, the pain completely went away. I am
still not as flexible in my right wrist as compared to the left, but made significant
improvements due to the kind of work you are about to begin.
While you are in a handstand you full bodyweight is being put on your wrists. When
starting out the weight of your body on your hands can make your wrists sore after
practice. Build up in volume over time and the soreness will eventually go away. If this is
too much you must build up to it with the lead-up exercises in the next chapter. There are
also ways around this, such as using pushup handles, which will be covered later.
But if your wrists are stiff are hurt from doing the handstands these stretches will help in
addition to building up their strength in the stretched position.
The most basic stretch is to bend your wrist back by using your other hand to push back
the fingers toward the backside of the wrist. Try to push both on the fingers and the palm
to be sure both the wrists and fingers receive the stretch. Work both sides.
This stretch can be done in a similar manner by using the floor or a wall. Kneel on the
ground with your arms in front of your body and your palms pointing away from you.
Place the fingers on the ground and stretch you hands in the same manner as above. Both
hands can be done at once. Be sure to keep the elbows locked.
Another alternative is to place your palms together at about chest level in a prayer-like
position. While keeping the hands flat and together, lower them across your body. All
three of these stretches will build your wrist flexibility full extension as needed for
handstands.
Also, it is good to stretch in the opposite manner (i.e. wrist flexion) after doing your
handstands. Any of the above moves can be done in the opposite manner.

Some people are more flexible than others. As long as you can get your palm bent a little
more than 90 degrees back from the wrist you are set to do a normal handstand. If you
cannot reach this position then your flexibility must be improved. But be careful not to
overdo it on these stretches. Over stretching can loosen the ligaments which will result in
less strength and stability.
How to Kick-Up into the Handstand
You may find it helpful to have someone assist you with your first efforts at kicking up
into a handstand. After you kick they can guide your feet into the right spot against the
wall so that you are holding a handstand. While easier and more comforting to begin
with, its by no means necessary.
With or without a spotter you will follow these same steps. Place your hands shoulder
width apart on the floor. Keep your arms locked, your strongest posture, while getting
into position. Any bend in the arms will make it more difficult. When you are doing your
first handstands this increases your chances of falling on your head so be sure to lock out
your elbows. The hands should be 8-12 inches from the wall.
You begin in the sprinters stance with one leg back and the other tucked in close to your
body. Kick hard (but not too hard) with the back leg up toward the wall and bring your
other foot to meet with it. After a little practice you will know exactly how much kicking
power you need to get up. Be careful at first. It takes more than you want to give, but be
wary of kicking to hard lest you put holes in the wall. Soon you will do it gracefully
without effort.
After you kick with one leg and it is swinging toward the wall, you push off the other leg
in order to meet them up above. Keep your arms locked and hold the position.
Congratulations you are now in a handstand.
The kick-up is the preferred method of getting into a handstand. It is a skill that needs to
be practiced by itself with no regards for building strength by holding a handstand or
doing handstand pushups. Practice just the kick-up. Work on it over and over until you
can do it easily. This way when you are trying to build strength you wont have to waste
any energy trying and failing to get into the handstand.
With a little more practice youll be able to drop to your hands and kick-up into the
handstand without getting setup in the sprinters stance first.

Chapter 3 - Lead-
Lead-up Exercises
If you are working towards your first handstand pushup you shouldnt directly go for the
move. That will prove frustrating and will take longer then a more step-by-step approach.
A full training outline to achieving your first HSPU can be found in Appendix A.
By using a few variations of the handstand pushup along with the following lead-up
exercises in this chapter youll build your pressing strength fast.
Pushup
The regular pushup will help build up the strength you need to do handstands and
handstand pushups. You should be able to do at least 20 pushups in good form before
moving on to any handstand training.
To maintain good form your body should be kept tight. Do not allow any sagging in the
hips. Do not have your butt sticking up in the air either. Your body should form a straight
line and be kept rigid like a board.
Your hands are placed on the ground shoulder width apart with the fingers pointing
forward. Lower your body with your arms and the elbows close to the sides. Do not make
the common mistake of letting your elbows flare out to the sides. This can be bad for your
shoulder joints. Keep the elbows in! Your chest should touch the floor lightly and then
you press back up. This is one rep.
Repeat for reps. These should be done in a controlled manner. You are not trying to break
records so dont go as fast as you can but you also dont need to do them super slow
either.

Elevated Pushup
By raising you feet on an object youll be placing more of your bodyweight on your arms
making the exercise more difficult. Naturally, youll be able to do less reps but youll
build more strength. The form is exactly the same as in the normal pushup.
Continue raising the level of your feet until you get close to a handstand pushup. By
raising your feet just a little each time you train youll be building strength from pressing
a little more weight.
A variation of the elevated pushup can be done by keeping your feet on the wall instead
of on a raised object. This makes the exercise harder as you need to stay tighter since your
feet dont rest on a platform.

Pike Press
This is a pushup variation that trains the same position youll have to push from in the
HSPU. Place you hands on the ground shoulder width apart and fingers facing forward. In
addition to increasing your strength this exercise can be a great stretch for the hamstrings.
You must keep your legs straight with your butt up in the air when you perform this
exercise. This is that same as a downward dog position in yoga. To increase the difficulty
keep your feet together. Spreading them apart will making it slightly easier.
The main factor in making this one harder or easier is how close your feet are to your
hands. As your upper body gets more and more vertical youll be pushing more weight
and it simulates the same angle of push as in a handstand pushup. Of course, it is an
easier move as you dont push the weight of your legs.
Bend you arms while keeping your legs straight. Your heels may come off the floor.
Touch your head or nose to the ground and push back up. Your elbows should not flare
out to the sides much, if at all, but stay in line with your body.

Chapter 4 - Handstand Positioning
The way in which you position you body, arms, legs, and head will have a dramatic
impact on how difficult a handstand or handstand pushup will be. We will cover each one
of these aspects in this chapter.
You may find it beneficial to try each of the positions as they are described to get a feel
for them. And once you get to the next chapter it will be put together in an easy to follow
format.
Arm and Shoulder Position
If you watch a group of people do normal pushups you will see quite a range of variety.
One of the most noticeable aspects is their elbows. Some people will keep the elbows in
close to their sides while others flare them out to the sides like wings.
In fact, in normal pushups you do not want to keep the elbows out to the outside. This
causes an outward rotation of the shoulder which places undue stress on the shoulders.
This is why many people who do hundreds of pushups sometimes end up with shoulder
problems. The fault lies in how they did the pushups. But with handstand pushups this
doesnt occur, due to the body being at a different angle in relation to the arms.
Changing the positioning is akin to taking a narrow or wider grip with a barbell when
pressing. Everyone will have a specific groove in which they feel best for pressing. But in
general there are a few points common to all people in what will happen. Depending on
how the hands and arms are positioned will work the shoulders differently.
A wider base is usually easier and will work the middle and rear of the shoulders more
than a narrow base. Having a wider base actually makes the movement easier because it
lessens the range of motion. This is until a certain extent, where too wide will become
very difficult as you would have very little leverage.
A narrow base will stress the triceps more and generally be more difficult. This works the
frontal and middle deltoid muscles the most. If you were to go for holding a handstand for
the longest amount of time you would have your hands directly under you, your arms
perpendicular to the ground. For best results we want to use this true position with the
hands directly in line with your body. Of course, that depends on where youre at and
what you are going for.

Hand Placement
In most of your training youre going to want your hands pointed straight at the wall.
Your middle or index finger should be pointing straight ahead at the wall.
If you spread your arms wide when you are doing handstand pushups your hands can be
angled out in order for them to line up with the angle of your arms. Usually this will be at
about 45 degrees turned out. But even with the arms wide you can keep the fingers
pointing straight ahead.
Where you place your hands will make the exercise much harder or easier. Firstly, further
away from the wall means you will be leaning into it. For optimal strength training having
your hands 8-12 inches from the wall is good.
It is not necessary for your fingers to be touching the base of the wall to get great results.
By going this route you will be training for a completely straight handstand. This takes
more strength in your midsection to keep you upright. If you want to, you can work up to
handstand pushups in this position though they wont work the arms or shoulders
anymore than being 8-12 inches from the wall.
More will be discussed about using pushup bars or parallettes later on. But now I want to
mention the hand position when using these objects. Most commonly youll have the bars
running parallel so the your hands face in. This is the best option for pressing. You can
experiment with other positions but youll be strongest with the hands facing in.
Another key point is to not have your fingers completely straightened out. Instead, allow
them to bend a little and grip the floor as you hold the handstand.

Bent Legs or Straight Legs
The next thing you have to pay attention to is if you have straight legs or legs bent at the
knees.
I will give my opinion that working with straight legs is better depending on a few other
factors. You will be able to maintain a straight and rigid body the entire time. If you
decide to practice any hand balancing away from the wall this is crucial for form and
function.
Should you have a minimum height clearance than you may be required to keep your legs
bent. When you bend your knees you put your body into a different position. Depending
on the surface of your wall and how far you bend your legs you can actually get assistance
from your legs. By gripping the wall and pushing down with your feet you can help press
yourself up. It may not be much but it can make a difference.
You will need to place your hands further from the wall than with straight legs in order
get into a proper bent leg position. Place your hands far enough away so that your body is
vertical.
If you find that you lean heavily on the wall you may want to switch to a bent leg
position. Because unless you place your hands a far distance from the wall youll be
unable to lean into it with bent legs.
But as long as you pay attention to your lean youll not have problems in a straight leg
handstand. Stick with the straight legs whenever you can. As you do HSPUs you may
find the legs dont stay together. This is fine as long as they remain tight.

Degree of Lean
Most people going for handstands are leaning heavily on the wall. The more you lean the
less weight you are supporting with your arms. What you want to strive for is close to a
completely vertical position.
The point is that even though we are using the wall for balance, that is all we are using it
for. Strive not to use it to support some of your weight to make the exercise easier. This
may be okay at first for beginners but as soon as you can, get to the position of being
perpendicular to the ground.
All the details are vitally important so that you know when you are capable of performing
a real handstand pushup. I have seen people say they can crank out 15 handstand pushups
easily and then I watch them do it to see that they arent going down all the way, have
their hands too wide, and they are leaning heavily on the wall. This is the same difference
between a normal pushup in good form, chest going down to the ground and quick half
reps neither full range at the top or bottom.
Arching
The more you arch your body the more of the muscles of the chest will be used.
Meanwhile, a straight handstand will work the chest less but the triceps and shoulders
much more.
The pectorals are much stronger than you shoulders and arms. If you are doing a difficult
variety of the handstand pushup (depending on your level), or fatigued from doing reps,
then it is a natural inclination to arch so that your chest can take on more work. This may
or may not be a bad thing depending on what you are going for.
The majority of the time you will try to strive for as straight a position as possible.
Anytime you find that you arch heavily to press up and then fall out of the handstand at
the top you will know you are doing something too hard for you and you should switch to
an easier variety or less reps. Avoid heavily arching to complete reps.
Depending on your back flexibility as well as any issues you may have, arching is not
necessarily a bad thing. Here is where it may cause problems for some people. If you are
pressing up and the lower body isnt moving up, you are just pressing into a tighter arch.
This is easier to do then lifting your full weight, which is why it may happen. But you
may press yourself into a compromised position. Avoid doing this as well.
A little natural arch never hurt anyone and as long as you avoid these two problems you
should have no troubles. The important thing to do is keep your abs and back braced
whether straight or arching. Dont let your body sag and be limp.

Head Position
When doing a handstand and holding it, it does not matter much which position you take
whether your head is in line with your body or your head is bent back looking at the floor.
However, this makes a huge difference in handstand pushups. The body tends to follow
the head so keeping your head straight with your body helps to keep your body straight. If
you are having problems arching too much keep your head looking forward.
When your head is bent back and you touch your nose or forehead to the floor you are
actually doing a slightly larger range of motion. This two or three inches adds a large
amount of difficulty because it is close to the hardest part of any press, the sticking point.
If you are doing a wide placement of your arms your head will come down in between
your hands. If your hands are close together then your head will come down a little in
advance of your hands unless your are completely straight bodied. This makes your hands
and head form a triangle. There is no problem with these facts. Just the way it is because
of where your balance is.

Chapter 5 - Basic Handstand Pushup Exercises
Its almost time to start with the handstand pushups. In the previous chapter you learned
the many ways you can change your position and what differences they will make in your
handstand pushups. In this chapter, well take all those possible changes and break them
into just three different handstand pushup variations, easy, medium, and hard.
But first lets start with two preliminary exercises.
Handstand
Kick-up into a handstand against the wall. Hold for time.
It is simple but there are some details that can make this exercise do even more for you.
Your hands should be shoulder width apart. If you place them wider, then your structure
is weaker because the stress is not transferred straight down your bones, but displaced to
the sides causing your muscles to work harder. Think of shrugging your shoulders up to
your ears. This will lock out your shoulders giving you the strongest position. Even if you
have to work your HSPUs in an different position when you do holds strive for this one.
Do not bend your arms. Keep the elbows locked out. Again this makes you strongest by
using your structure not your musculature. For the normal handstand hold you want to be
in the best possible position.
Press your arms into the ground and stretch upwards with your toes. This will give your
body a good rigidity and great position. The objective is not to get as tight as possible,
though as that would tire you out as quickly. However you must not keep any body part
loose as that will become a problem later on.
When you can do a minute you are doing great. This can be done for one all out set or you
can break it up how you see fit for several sets.

Handstand Shrug
Once you get in the handstand position you are told to push your hands into the ground
locking out you shoulders. This is a necessary position for handstands as it gives you the
strongest posture for endurance.
Right now, we want to work the muscles that allow you to hold the position. This is a
great exercise for your trapezius muscles. Very few bodyweight exercises directly work
the traps.
From the pressed out position relax your shoulders and think of bringing them toward
your armpits. Pull them into the socket. But do not bend your elbows. The arms should
remain tensed and locked out throughout this exercise. Even think about squeezing the
triceps hard enough to cramp them. The movement is made solely by the shoulder girdle.
After you have lowered by action of the shrug you press back up. Repeat back and forth.
Once again, do not bend the arms. This exercise only takes you through a couple inches
of motion. With practice you can do a large number of repetitions in this exercise.
It is hard to see the motion from still photos in the handstand itself. But you should easily
be able to see the difference in the back shots from shrugged up to pulled down.

For the following handstand pushups exercises youll find there are certain positions that
are common to all of them and do not change. Others will be manipulated to make the
exercise easier and harder. Some of the constants include the hand placement as far as
distance from the wall, degree of lean and arch in the back and the leg position. These
should stay consistent as you move from one variation to the next.
Of course, if you have to make changes for yourself using the principles in the previous
chapter, go ahead. These three exercises are here to simplify and give you an easy way to
progress.
HSPU - Easy
Kick-up into a handstand but place your hands wider apart then normal. This gives you a
favorable angle which requires less strength. No more than 8 inches outside each shoulder
though. You fingers can point forwards or slightly out to the sides in line with your arms.
Lower to the top of your head and press up. Your head should touch down in a straight
line along with your hands. Maintain as straight a back as possible and keep tight.

HSPU - Medium
As you progress you can bring you hands in closer until they are at shoulder width.
Instead of the elbows coming out to the sides now they should point out away from the
wall and your body. Your head will lower to the ground closer to the wall than where
your hands are placed.
This is harder as more work is placed on the arms and the range of motion is slightly
increased. Still, keep the back of your head facing the wall so that you are looking out,
touching the top of your head to the ground. As always, the body and legs remain tight.

HSPU - Hard
Keep the hand and arm position from the Medium HSPU but now we are going to lower
to your nose. This small increase in the range of motion makes the HSPU harder still
especially since its right around the worst leverage in the press.
With your head tilted back you normally want to arch the back heavily. Some arch is fine
but try to limit it and keep a straight back.
If you find that you are arching excessively to the point where you sometimes fall out of
the handstand at the top of the movement you may want to skip this variation. Instead
work on increasing your height as covered in Chapter 8 while maintaining the straight
head position as in the Medium HSPU.

Chapter 6 - Advanced Handstand Pushup Exercises
The five exercises in the previous chapter are all you need to make a lot of progress with
handstand pushups. Youll find in the workouts sections many workouts that use just
those exercises.
This chapter holds many more exercises. The first bunch are great when you find yourself
at a plateau or sticking point. In fact, these exercises will help you break through to the
next level, whether thats full range or just your first handstand pushup.
Others are great ways to train for specific reasons. And the last couple are more challenge
exercises, not commonly done or used.
Negatives
This involves going from a handstand and lowering down in control until you come to the
bottom position. Notice that I said in control. Do not just drop onto your head. That
would be ineffective and possibly injurious.
If you are starting out just go as slow as you can. If you are working on improving a range
of motion you can normally do the positive portion of, slow it down even more. Really
control the movement. Negatives taking 10 seconds work well.
Negatives tend to cause more soreness in the muscles the next day. Also you may require
more recovery. But using negatives is a proven way to build strength. Its a great way to
finish a workout when you cant do anymore full reps. Also youll be able to do negatives
in harder variations and with extended ranges of motion, even when you cant necessarily
do the positive portion of the move.
Position Holds
Besides holding a straight handstand, to really build strength, bend your arms and then
hold the position.
The hardest bend to hold is just below 90 degrees. About 70-80 degrees. This is the
toughest sticking point. Of course to hold at this position you will have to be elevated
somewhat. If you can hold yourself in the 90 degree arm position for a long period of
time you are building strength near the hardest part of the movement.
It is good to practice holds at other positions as well. A quarter bend in the arms is good
but much easier. If you are going for full range pushups a three-quarter bend is a great
position to work.

Isometrics
This is different from holding a position though it can be used in conjunction. Let me
explain. Technically, a hold is a isometric because you are not moving. Isometrics are
pushing against an unmovable resistance. What I am talking about here is actually trying
to push the ground away from you. The most basic move is to get in a headstand and just
push with all your might against the ground. You are not trying to lift yourself up but
instead pushing the ground down.
This same concept can be applied to the holds. Instead of merely trying to keep your body
un-moving in space, push with all your might into the ground. This will tire you out
quicker as you are using more of your strength then is required to just hold yourself there.
These can be done for different lengths of time. To really go for maximum strength do
this move for 6-10 seconds. You can hold your breath for this short period of time or
generate more power by forcefully exhaling slowly usually with a hissing sound. You
may wish to shoot for longer time periods after you get good at these. If you do that youll
have to breathe while remaining tight and strong.
Partials
These are not done in the same way you would do partials with weights, in which you do
a part of the movement with a higher resistance then you can normally use. That would be
a difficult thing to pull of in HSPUs, although it is possible.
This technique involves moving through a piece of the movement many times, without
doing the full range. For example, you will do 10 quarter HSPUs at the top. Or drop all
the way down and do 10 quarter movements at the bottom position. If you cannot do a
full HSPU yet the partial is a way to work up to it. Progressively youll work more and
more of the movement until you can do full range. Starting even with 1. Youll get to
quarter HSPUs and half HSPUs in no time.
Bottom Position
This means that instead of starting from a handstand and lowering to the ground, then
pushing back up, you will start in a headstand and push up. By starting at the ground you
will not have the benefit of the elastic tension your muscles get from doing the negative
portion of the exercise. When you lower down in control, your muscles are under tension
while being stretched out. Just like an elastic band they will want to go back to the
original position.
Starting from a headstand eliminates all of this thus making you push from a dead start. It
will teach you how to generate the strength and tension you need to push even harder.
Mixing these five techniques up will be sure to get you through any plateaus you have.

Reverse Handstands
A reverse handstand is when you are facing the wall during your handstand. There are
two ways to get into this position.
Walk-Up
Stand with your back facing a wall. Set your hands on the ground about three feet away
from the wall. With your arms locked and body tight lift one leg and place the foot on the
wall. Then lift your other leg. Walking your legs up the wall and your hands in closer
youll arrive in a handstand. This method can be reversed to get out of the handstand or
you can softly drop to your head, tuck and roll out.
Cartwheel Into
If you have some tumbling skill and the space for it this method requires less energy than
the walk up. Stand with the front of your body facing the wall. If you are going to the left
place your left hand down as you go into a cartwheel. Your right hand should come down
as your feet come in contact with the wall. Instead of completing the cartwheel stop once
you are upside down. Adjust your hands into the correct position. If you cartwheel the
other way use the other hand to start. Again, you can come out of the handstand the same
way, walk down, or roll.
This gives a different feel to the exercise. A major problem you want to avoid is again the
leaning aspect. I have seen many people hold what is more of an incline pushup position
rather then a real handstand. Make sure you walk your feet up all the way until you are
parallel with the wall.
Like the normal handstand the reverse handstand can be held for time. This is also the
best exercise to do if you wish to straighten out your handstand. Walk your hands all the
way to the wall. Virtually every part of your body should touch the wall or be attempting
to do so.
(Neither of the previous pictures show what the final reverse handstand should look like.
Instead see the first picture of the reverse HSPU on the next page.)

Reverse Handstand Pushups
In a normal handstand your back is leaning toward the wall, but in the reverse handstand
your front side leans on the wall. Even if you do little lean in either this dramatically
changes up the feel of the exercise. If you have been doing normal HSPUs for a while
switch to these every once in awhile as they change the exercise dramatically.
This is just like the pike pushup except you are doing all your weight making it a very
difficult exercise. A common problem is as you push you will arch to engage the chest
more making it a huge incline pushup. Try to avoid this to keep yourself in the handstand
position.
This is somewhat of an awkward movement as your feet do not want to slide up the wall
at all. You may need to walk them up bit by bit. Or wear socks on a slick wall.

Diamond/Hand on Hand
Want to test the strength of your triceps? In this move we change the hand position so that
the hands touch or are even on top of each other, just like in diamond or hand-on-hand
pushups.
Because you have less leverage almost all the work is thrown onto your triceps. It takes
incredible strength to do this move. To work up to it you can just move your hands in an
inch at a time from the normal position.
You can also try holding handstands in this position.
Clapping Handstands
Heres another challenge. This one requiring explosive strength.
Bend your arms a little lowering from the handstand. But you dont have to go all the way
down. Press as hard as you can, explosively jumping off of the ground. At first just raise
the hands off then set them down again catching yourself in the handstand. As you
practice and become more proficient you can get more air. Eventually, youll be able to
clap your hands and still catch yourself.
Repeat for reps. This will build great lockout strength and shock absorption ability.
This is a possibly dangerous exercise. If you miss catching yourself youll fall to your feet
in the best case scenario. In the worst, youll fall on your head. Youve been warned.

On Fists
Handstand pushups can be done on any variety of pushup handles or parallel bars. This is
usually done to add height to the movement which will be covered later. Another benefit
is that it works the wrists differently. And if you have problems with the wrists bending
back to hold a handstand doing them on bars will circumvent the issue.
The same effects are done just by doing handstands and pushups on the fists. No wrist
issues. Of course, youll want to do these on padded or carpeted ground, not concrete or
anything like that unless you want pain and cut up knuckles.
Everything else is the same as HSPUs done on flat hands. Except, it should be noted that
handstand pushups on the fists increase the range of motion about two inches. Go ahead
and look at your flat open hand as compared to the fist to see for yourself.

On Fingertips
Fingertip pushups are a common exercise used by many martial artists, wrestlers, and
others to build stronger hands. This can be taken to the extreme with pushups done on
just two or even one finger.
Another way to take it to the extreme is by taking on more of your bodyweight. Doing a
fingertip handstand requires you to hold all your bodyweight on the fingers instead of just
a portion. It is not for the average person. If you wish to tackle this feat build up to it
slowly so that you do not permanently damage your fingers. Do fingertip pushups, then
elevated pushups and finally get up into a handstand.
Of course, once you can easily hold the fingertip handstand you can then try handstand
pushups. Or you can always reduce the number of fingers you use. If you want to compete
with the Shaolin monks work up to a handstand on one finger of each hand, or even just
one finger of one hand!
Like the HSPUs on fist the fingertip version will also increase your range of motion.

Chapter 7 - Extra Tips and Tricks
This chapter contains many different ideas, exercises, and concepts you can apply to
make you stronger instantly, identify weak points, work with both weights and handstand
pushups and much more.
Increasing Tension
Here are a few techniques you can use to become instantly stronger in your HSPUs. Yes,
by reading this book you can become stronger. Give them a try.
The more tension you can generate in you muscles the stronger you will be. Its a fact that
even Olympic athletes are never contracting more than 50% of the force they could
generate. Most people cannot consciously do even 20%. If you could do a full contraction
then you would break your bones!
Learning how to use your body in a more efficient manner is a big leap in giving you the
strength to perform these feats. In fact, most of the time when you start a workout
program the first couple weeks you increase the weights or reps, not because you are
building strength, but because you are learning how to apply the force of your body in
these movements.
There are techniques we can use to shortcut this. You would find many professional
athletes will use these techniques whether they are conscious of doing so or not.
You may have noticed I stressed many times in the previous exercises to keep tight
certain muscles. Heres the reasons for that. Tension in one muscle will allow nearby
muscles to contract even harder. What this means is that by tensing your whole body, you
will be stronger in the muscles that actually do the work for the give exercise. I first
learned of this concept from Pavel Tsatsouline. If you want more information on this fact
including the science behind it, check out his book and DVD, Power to the People which
can be found at www.legendarystrength.com/resources/pttp.html.
By squeezing your abs and legs you will become stronger in the shoulders and arms for a
HSPU.
Try to grip the floor with your fingertips like you are trying to rip it apart. Again the
tension in your forearms will give you more strength. You should not have your fingers
straight.
In addition, there is a neuro-muscular reflex built in your arms that you can use to help
your efforts. Keep the majority of your weight on the bottom at the pinkie side of your
palm. You can test the effectiveness of this by having a friend press against various parts
of your open hand and then this spot. Doing this makes your triceps stronger.

Where to Look & What to Think
Weve talked about head position before but what about your eyes? Did you know that
looking up tends to help with muscle extension? And looking down helps with flexion.
The thing is raising your arm overhead is flexion for the shoulders. So to start the move
youll want to look down, but if you need help locking out look up. (Since youll be
upside down looking up means looking at the ground, and looking down will be looking
towards the sky or roof.)
A helpful mind trick which seems to get you into better position is instead of thinking of
pushing your body away from the floor, think of pushing the floor away from you.
Try each one of these techniques one at a time then all at once. Of course this may be too
much to think about at one time. If you havent worked with them before pick one at a
time and master it. Practice using these tips and make them ingrained so you always use
them to your best advantage.
Identifying & Correcting Weak Links
Using the tension principles described not only makes you stronger, but it keeps your
body tight. Your body is an odd object if you let it be. Any part that is loose makes the
press harder to do. If you relax while pressing up it wouldnt work and youd just fall out
of the handstand.
To make sure youre tight have a friend test you. While doing a HSPU or just holding the
handstand let him or her hit you lightly in different areas of your body like the abs, lats,
thighs and butt to check your tightness. This gives you instant feedback on where you
need to tighten up.
As you experiment with different positions and variations of the handstand pushup you
may find certain ones harder than others. Perhaps a wider hand position is harder when it
should normally be easier. This could point to weakness in the sides of the shoulders, or
an over dominance in the front. If you notice this you may want to work on a weaker
variation of the handstand pushups for awhile to bring up your weakness.
HSPU/Pullup Connection
Many people when they first get into handstand pushups find that after specific training
their pullup numbers go up, even without working on pullups at all. The reasons for this
are as follows.
The lats are the biggest muscle group in the upper body. When you hold a handstand, and
even more so when raising and lowering in a handstand pushup, these muscles work to
stabilize the body. Keeping the body stable while struggling upside down is a tremendous
job.

Plus the lats job is to pull the arms down and back. When doing a HSPU the lats must be
strong in order to lower you under control. They are receiving negative work. So you can
see the primary muscles in pullups are being indirectly worked in HSPUs and that is how
you can become stronger in pullups without training for them.
Also, the handstand pushup is an antagonistic exercise to the pullup. Pushing and pulling
yourself up in the same direction (i.e. vertical). When you do this it forces the
antagonistic muscles to relax. It allows them to be stronger when it comes time for them
to go again. For example the biceps and triceps are antagonistic. So are the pectorals and
latissimus.
You can improve you pullup numbers just by doing HSPUs. But for even better results
Id recommend working the two back to back. Ive done this for so long, I rarely ever
work presses, whether handstand or with weights, and pullups separate. In fact, in all your
training wherever possible its a great idea to work antagonistic exercises together for this
reason.
Weightlifting and HSPUs
There is something called the SAID principle in training. This stands for Specific
Adaptation to Imposed Demands. What this means is that if you want to get better at a
specific exercise then you should be doing that exercise.
Using the same muscles in a similar pattern will help although the gains you get in one
movement will usually not transfer one hundred percent to another exercise. HSPUs will
help your overhead barbell press. They will not help you do squats. However, you could
probably make more gains in your barbell pressing ability if you practiced that
specifically rather than practicing HSPUs.
There are some cases in which this is not true. If you have been doing barbell presses for
a while you body will adapt to the ability to do them even if you progress in weight or
reps every workout. At some point you may become stale on the exercise, hitting that
plateau. Now would be a great time to switch to HSPUs. Although the move is similar in
structure and muscles used, it is different enough to shock your body into new gains.
Also the handstand and HSPU teaches you how to control your body better. If you have
never done any work of this sort before you will find that many of you lifts may go up.
Back to the SAID principle. To transfer your pressing power best from one thing to
another, make the lift as similar as possible. In the case of overhead pressing, do HSPUs
with your body erect, on parallettes or pushup handles in the same position you would
hold a barbell, and do full-range. If you only did a partial range movement it is the
equivalent of doing partials with the barbell lowering and raising the bar to the top of
your head. You have to work the full range to really duplicate a complete press.

You can also experiment with mixing your workouts so that in one you press weights and
in another you do HSPUs. This is probably the surest way to progress in both while
giving your body plenty of variety. Just alternate from one workout to the next what type
of pressing you do. I would not recommend concentrating on more than two overhead
presses at one time though.
In addition, doing partials or isometric presses with weights could be a big help in
overcoming sticking points in HSPUs. As isometrics and especially heavy partials are
hard to do in handstands but easy to do with a barbell and power rack you may wish to
experiment with these exercises if you come to a plateau you cant bust through.
Using Cables
Cables allow for potentially easier or harder variations of the HSPU. Many people do not
have the bands or setup in order to be able to do these, and they can be tough to get into,
which is why they are not covered earlier. However cables and bands can be used
effectively.
I have to credit Chris Hope in first showing me how this was done. In order to make a
HSPU easier youll need two cables or bands. Tie one around a pullup bar or something
hanging overhead. Take the other band and loop it through the bottom of the cable. Youll
take this second band and either loop it around your shoulders or hold it in your hands.
Kick-up into the handstand. You can use the cable to support yourself instead of leaning
on a wall. From here do the HSPUs. The bands will make the exercise easier by pulling
you up. How easy depends on the resistance and length of the bands themselves.
To make a HSPU harder youll have to use a different setup. The best way I have found is
to wear a belt with a looped attachment. Loop a cable through that and hold the ends in
your hands. Getting into the handstand like this is the tricky part but it can be done. Once
you are there do the HSPU as normal. The cable will make the move harder especially the
lockout.
If you want to you can use cables with these methods, but using the other exercises in this
book, both harder and easier, tend to require less equipment and are easier to get into.

Chapter 8 - Progression
In order to progress through your training all you have to do is keep doing more. More
reps, more resistance, or more time under pressure.
Much of the time progression will take the form of doing more reps and sets. As long as
you do more then in your previous workout you will get stronger. If you want an in depth
discussion of progression, many methods to progress, and how it works check out the
course available at www.keystosuccessfultraining.com.
Moving to a harder variation of the HSPU is also a form of progression. But there are two
other main ways to build up strength.
Adding Height
The most common method to make a HSPU more difficult is to increase the range of
motion. By raising the hands up on some sort of platform it allows you to lower your
body more, making the move take more strength. For a full range HSPU you go to the
very bottom, meaning hands slightly under shoulder level.
You can use many objects for this. Pushup handles, parallettes, steps, mats, chairs, blocks
of wood, kettlebells, hand balancing stands and stools all work. One caveat with whatever
you choose to use. I shouldnt need to tell you that dire consequences could result from
using unstable or poor equipment. As long as it provides a stable place to put your hands
and it will hold your full body weight it will work.
Optimally you want to find something that you can increase in height bit by bit so that
you can progress inch by inch. Another way to do this is to use chairs or something of full
range height. Instead of going all the way down you will place a stack of books, blocks, or
similar objects underneath your head. Lower your head to this height and you have made
it more difficult slightly. As you progress remove this stack a little at a time, thus
increasing the height. It is best to progress inch at a time rather then big jumps of four
inches or more. (The top right picture on the preceding page shows an example of this.)

Adding Weight
Adding weight to handstands and HSPU is not as easy but far from impossible. I would
recommend building up to full-range HSPUs before attempting to add weight to the
movements though.
If you have a good weight vest that stays tight when you are upside down then you are
well off. The X-vest has worked well for me as long as you make sure it is tight. Some
lower quality vests will slide up around your face in the handstand position.
Another option is to use your teeth. This may sound odd but can be safe and effective
done is the right manner (and it will develop a stronger jaw). Do not bite into a weight but
find something that you can safely bite into. A tooth bit made of wood or a piece of
leather will work. You will want to make sure that you can bite evenly onto the object so
that it does not put your body into a odd angle.
At a seminar I attended, Brooks Kubik, author of Dinosaur Training available at

www.brookskubik.com, was demonstrating HSPUs on top of two chairs. He was using a
rope tied around a dumbbell which he bit into on the descent and pushed back up to the
top. Hes also been known to tie chains around his body for extra weight in HSPUs!
When you bite down you want it set into the back of your teeth. They are much stronger
than the front teeth. Start with a really light weight at first to get a good feel for it. You
should work up to full range HSPUs before even trying this stunt though. Once you are
there though, feel free to use this method to pull of a stunt very few could do or would
even attempt.
Weight can be used to build a stronger lockout in the handstand position. I would
recommend you do not try to add a huge amount of weight though. Keep it fairly light and
go for time.
Once you are doing full range HSPUs with added weight you are doing a feat very few
can do. At this point you are really strong.

Chapter 9 - One Hand Handstands
If someone thinks that holding a handstand against the wall is hard then theyll flip at the
thought of a one hand handstand. In this chapter well discuss the different positions you
can hold, including the possibility of a one hand handstand pushup. What will not be
addressed is how to balance in a freestanding one hand handstand. This is all about how
to use the one hand handstand to build strength.
One Hand Handstand - Legs Spread
Even when using the wall the one hand handstand requires balance. But there are ways to
make this move easier. When I first got started I was advised to kick up in the corner
between two walls. This way you can use the sides and push off the walls to make
balancing easier.
Spread your legs wide. This is the biggest tip in making this move easy. For this example,
well go into the handstand on the left arm. From your handstand position on two hands,
raise up onto the fingers of right hand. Make sure the left arm is locked out and rigid. As
you transfer more and more of your weight onto that arm raise the right hand just slightly
off of the floor. If you feel stable and confident you can raise the arm up to your side. But
when you are first starting, keep the free hand close to the ground in case you need it. In
any case before you come down, it is wise to lower onto two hands before returning to
your feet.
Once you are able to hold the handstand against the wall for over a minute when you
workout you can move to this variation and begin holding for time. You may find you are
better with one arm than the other, but try to work out both sides evenly.
One Hand Handstand - Legs Together
Do not be deceived by the small act of bringing your legs together. This makes the one
arm handstand much harder to do. Since you cant push off the wall with your feet spread
out wide it requires more balance. It will also take much more abdominal and core
strength.
To start with go into the one hand handstand with the legs spread. However, this time
bring them in a bit closer. Raise up just like you did before. Keep progressing like this
until your get your legs and feet together. Your body will not maintain the straight (or
mostly straight) position it has when the legs are spread. Instead your body through the
legs will tend to lean to the side of the arm you are on.
Just like the one hand handstand with the legs spread build up in holding time. I wouldnt
recommend moving to this variation until you can easily hold the legs spread position for
at least 30 seconds.

Assisted One Arm Handstand Pushup
So you want to tackle the one arm handstand pushup? It wont be easy, but it is not
impossible. Before you even begin on this journey I would recommend you be able to do
at least five full-range handstand pushups. If you have that strength we can begin with an
assisted variation. Also, I must say that I do not have much experience on these exact
exercises. This is a bit of theoretical work as I am not at this point in my training. But it
should give you some direction if thats where you are at.
The concept behind the assisted one arm HSPU is to use your free hand to add only as
much help as you need. What you will do is keep it on a raised platform while you do the
push with your other hand. Youll need it more at the bottom of the move and less at the
top. The goal is to use it as little as possible while relying mostly on the one arm youre
training.
Because you are on one arm and will be leaning to help the balance this exercise is
different from the normal HSPU. To compare it to weightlifting it is the difference
between pressing a weight in one hand versus pressing a barbell in two. That may seem
obvious, but this means side lean is necessary and your friend. Youll also need to engage
the lat a lot more.
As you progress you can use the free hand less and less for assistance.
One Arm Handstand Pushup
If you have done the assisted one arm handstand pushups enough and feel you are ready
to move on, heres a few things to expect. Firstly, even though you may have used the
free arm only a little bit that little pressure was a huge help in balancing. You may have to
alter your position to stay up. Experiment with you hand, arm, body and leg position. Find
out what seems to be working best for you.
Also, now is a good time to revisit some of the advanced exercises from before. Im
talking about controlled negatives, holds, and isometrics.
If you are capable of doing a controlled one arm handstand pushup then you are one of
the strongest people in the world. Congratulations!

Chapter 10 - Freestanding Handstand Pushups
Since the first time Ive succeeded in doing a handstand pushups against the wall Ive
wanted to do away with the wall and complete the pushups while balancing. In this
chapter Ill be showing you how to do just that.
The Basics
Before we begin, here are a few important things to keep in mind. This isnt a beginners
stunt. In order to do a freestanding handstand pushup you need to have two things, the
balance to maintain your position the entire time and the strength to complete the move.
If youve been practicing hand balancing for awhile your balance is likely good enough. If
you can shift and hold different positions, walk around and hold a handstand for a close to
a minute you should be good to go. If you are not there I recommend checking out a
variety of resources found at www.lostartofhandbalancing.com to improve your balance.
Youll notice from the pictures that the look of the freestanding handstand pushup
changes depending on if you maintain a straight handstand (as my friend Max
demonstrates) or have an arch (like I do). While the look changes nothing else about
keeping the balance does.
If you can just barely do handstand pushups against the wall then youll need to work on
your strength some more. I believe the freestanding handstand pushup takes more strength
then one against the wall, mainly because it eliminates the possibility of leaning at all and
thus you really have to manage your full weight. Also as you have to balance and keep
your weight forward on your fingers towards overbalancing you wont be able to press
through your palm, which as you learned earlier increases the strength in your triceps.
So you want to be able to do a number of reps with ease against the wall before trying
without. This gives you the base strength so that you can practice the move freestanding
without becoming fatigued and unable to do it after just a few attempts.
If youre ready to begin theres a few key points youll want to take notice of before the
pushups begin.
Pressing is easier when you have better leverage. And you can get this easily in hand
balancing by keeping your arms slightly wider than shoulder width. Not only do you have
favorable leverage but it actually shortens the range of motion slightly. These ideas
should be familiar to you by now. And for the freestanding handstand pushup well use
them to our advantage.
Since you normally want your handstand to have the arms at shoulder width and not
wider, youll want to kick up into a few handstands in this new wider stance to get a feel

for balancing in it. Everything else remains the same; body tight, index fingers pointing
forward, etc.
Some people find that bending the legs and hanging the knees over is helpful to master
the freestanding handstand pushup in the beginning. This effectively lowers your center
of gravity, meaning easier balancing, and it tends to keep the body toward over balancing
even more which can be helpful. I recommend that you give this position a try, along with
the normal, straight leg variation, and find what works best for you. Its important
regardless of how you do it that you strive to keep your legs in control.
What stops most people from doing this move even if they can hold a free handstand and
easily do a handstand pushup against the wall is the balancing while pressing. And its
almost always from underbalancing. You have to keep your weight towards
overbalancing while you lower and raise up. This means your weight is shifted towards
the fingertips. If its back on your palms youll come right down.
And lastly, your head position. If you practice like most people youll be looking at the
ground when you do a handstand. This is the easiest way to balance. More advanced
balancers can keep the head tucked under, inline with the arms. The big deal, in the
handstand pushup, is that coming down to your nose is much more difficult than coming
down to the top of your head because of the added range of motion and the fact that the
lower you go the more strength it requires.
In all moves, I like to start out as easy as possible and then make it harder over time. The
easiest way to do the free handstand pushup is to touch the top of your forehead to the
ground. Its right on par with the top of your head as far as distance is concerned but itll
still allow you to look at the ground and your hands, thus not throwing off your balance
completely. What you should practice is holding a handstand and just slightly tucking
your chin under. As you do this roll your eyes upwards so that you can still look into the
same place.
As you improve in balancing and strength youll be able to come down to your nose
without any problems and press back up. But like I said, start easy.
Stack Progression
The head position should give you insight in how to make this move doable for anyone.
Just lower the range of motion to the point where it is within your abilities. And from
there you gradually increase it until you can touch the ground.
What you do is put a stack of objects under your head. DVD or CD cases, books or
anything that can be stacked on top of each other and is small enough to fit in between
your hands. Optimally you want objects that arent very thick so you can remove just a
small amount of space with each one. Thats why the cases or small books work better
than something like phonebooks.

Once you have your objects in place you kick-up into the handstand over them (remember
all the tips from before). Lower down until you touch the stack then press backup. Voila!
You have done a partial range freestanding handstand pushup.
Now its just a matter of increasing the range. Place one of the objects to the side so your
stack gets shorter then repeat the exercise. At some point youll find the move becomes
difficult for you. Just work the same range of motion and increase it when you can.
This technique is the fastest way to master this move. Because you go step by step it
wont take much to move from one level to the next. As you move down the strength and
balance required increases but at just a manageable level. If you come to a height you can
barely do work at that one for awhile before you move on.
Negatives
There are two other techniques that, when used in combination with the stack
progression, will get you doing the pushup in no time. The first is just doing the negative
portion of the press.
If your strength is waning you can still practice the freestanding handstand pushup. Kick-
up into the handstand like normal and lower down under control. Just letting gravity take
you down completely defeats the purpose of this exercise. Think of it as if youre actually
pulling yourself towards the ground. Once there you can lower to your feet or do a chest
roll down.
The key point is that you can practice balancing on the way down without needing the
strength to press back up. Do not allow yourself to fall out in an underbalance. If you
want to make it harder pause at the bottom and hold the position.
Headstand Pushup
This exercise is basically just doing the positive portion of the move. From a headstand
you press up into the handstand. It requires a lot of strength, since you cant rely on the
elastic power of your muscles you get when lowering down but it requires less balancing.
You only have to control yourself as you go up.
You can combine this with the negative too. Lower down from the handstand then pause
in the headstand before you press back up. Should you happen to lose your balance near
the end you can fully reset yourself before you press on up.
Using all three of these techniques, stack progressions, negatives, and the headstand press
will help you get to a freestanding handstand pushup quicker than anything else. These
are the exact methods I used to build up to doing freestanding HSPUs. No more, no less.

Once you can do the HSPU lowering all the way to the top of your head you can further
progress by changing your position back towards the normal one as well as lower to your
nose.
Free Full-Range Handstand Pushups
These same methods can be done to work on full-range freestanding handstand pushups.
Just work on increasing your range of motion inch by inch at a time. Make sure you have
and ample reserve of extra strength before you even begin to tackle this skill.
If you do them on parallel bars you can still use a variety of stackable objects to increase
and decrease the height. Also make use of negatives and holds.
As far as amount of training, some practice everyday is best. And spread throughout the
day is optimal. Be aware of how fatigued you get. If you need to rest an extra day between
practices do it. Youll come back fresher and make more progress. Depending on your
strength levels you may need to cut down or cut out other pressing movements while
training this skill.

Chapter 11 - Common Problems
This chapter will address many common questions and problems with handstand pushups.
Even if you arent having any problems youll want to read these for the many extra tips
they contain.
How do you combine handstand pushups with other exercises?
The first thing you have to look at is what your goals are. The basics of strength training
involve doing upper body pushes, upper body pulls, and squats. HSPUs are pushes and if
you train them you wont have to do any other pressing movements if you dont want.
Just make them a part of an overall balanced program. This is a big subject in and of
itself. For more information check out the Keys to Successful Training Online Course
found at www.keystosuccessfultraining.com.
How can I train HSPUs with an injury?
As long as the you are not further hurting yourself with handstands and HSPUs you
should be able to train them. If doing the moves does cause pain then you shouldnt
continue. Im not a doctor and cant diagnose your exact ailment especially in a book.
Basically train around it if you can. And do what you can to get the injury healed and
back into shape.
How often should I workout?
To keep this basic I will give you three choices.
Everyday - Doing some handstand pushups everyday will help you gain skill in the
move fast. By limiting the amount of sets and reps you do you can do this without
overtraining. Think of doing HSPUs more as a skill. Never train close to your max in
effort.
Three Times a Week - Train HSPUs hard three times a week. You mix up different
workouts (see the next chapter for plenty of examples) but figure out long and short
term goals and how to get there. Try to improve what you can do in each and every
workout.
Twice a Week - This is the minimum you can do if you really want to get better with
HSPUs. Treat it the same as the three times a week. Make sure you train hard and
you will get stronger.
How long should I rest in between sets?
This depends on what you are going for. If you take an easy variation and are aiming for a

high number of total reps like 100 then you will likely not rest very much at all between
sets. Maybe just 30 seconds or a minute.
But if you are doing fewer sets and doing a more difficult variation of the HSPU your
rests should be at least 2 to 3 minutes long or even longer. If you train in a circuit style
where you rotate through different exercises you can train without much standing around
but still having plenty of time for the targeted muscles to relax. Rest longer if you are
doing HSPUs near the maximum of your ability.
How should I warm-up before HSPUs?
This depends on your ability and overall health. A general warm-up is almost always a
good idea before any strenuous exercise. Mobility drills and some dynamic flexibility is
best.
Some people will be able to just go straight into handstand pushups without any warm-
up. Others may need to do some specific stretches for the wrists and shoulders. Consult
Chapter 2 for more on these. And if the HSPU is difficult for you, you can also warm-up
with regular pushups. Just do a easy set to get the blood flowing but not to tire you out.
What do I do if I cannot lock out my arms?
If you cannot lockout your arms due just to poor flexibility it will be improved in time
just from working on these exercises. Strive to go as far as you can in the movements at
all time. Attempt to lock out even if you cant yet.
If you cant lock out your arms due to an injury or joint problems, as long as there is no
pain you can still do HSPUs in the range you can move.
I seem to be stuck at a plateau. How do I break through it?
Use the exercises in the beginning of Chapter 6, such as negatives, isometrics and others.
Using these moves especially to work harder and to work on sticking points will make
you stronger. As long as you can do just a little bit more than last time you are improving.
Sometimes improvements come fast. Sometimes they are slow.
If those do not work try switching up your routine. Often just going from normal HSPUs
to Reverse HSPUs will work wonders. Or change your set and rep scheme. If youve
been doing 5 sets of 5 try 8 sets of 2 or vice versa. Or maybe you should break from the
HSPUs altogether and use weights for a while.
I dont have a good place to practice HSPUs. What should I do?
Find one. If you want to get better at HSPUs you need to work specifically on them. If
you dont have a clear wall in your house go outside. Find a building in a park of even

kick-up against a tree. And if you have trouble finding a place to do full-range HSPUs
you can take a pair of parallettes with you. They are light and easy to carry. There are no
excuses. I use to do HSPUs at working during lunch despite the fact everyone stared at
me and thought I was weird.
I seem to have problems just kicking up to the handstand. What should I do?
Forget holding the handstand or doing HSPUs for now. Work only on the kick-up.
Practice this move over and over. Just kick-up, get into position then come down. Repeat.
Do this as long as you need until the kick-up is effortless.
Handstands make my wrists hurt? What should I do?
Some peoples wrists are more flexible then others. For them the handstand poses no
problem. For the rest of us there are a few things to do. First, use the stretches from
Chapter 2 before any handstand work. This just loosens them up and makes you ready for
the work ahead. Any problems usually stem from not having strength in the fully
extended position. Take your time to work up to doing handstands. Limit it to just where
it starts to feel uncomfortable and rest at least a day in between working on them. As you
continue to work on handstands your wrists will become accustomed to the stress of the
position.
If after some time at this you are still not seeing improvement, or you just want to
circumvent the problem altogether, get a pair of pushup handles to work on.
How can I mix HSPUs and different presses into my training schedule?
If you have goals to lift large weights overhead and also get good at handstand pushups
the best approach is to alternate the two between workouts. My preference is to do one
type of one arm press with a weight and then HSPUs. This will also work with other
bodyweight pressing movements like dips.
Of course, depending on how you structure your workouts you could also do both in the
same workout. But as many of the same muscles are used youll want to make sure
volume is kept to a minimum as to not overdo it.
Should I do HSPUs before or after my weight training?
Handstand pushups work the same muscles as pressing weights whether as an overhead
press, bench press, or many other moves. If you are trying to do both youll have to ask
yourself what are your goals are what are you going after. Of course if you just use
weights for the rest of your body that works fine.
If you are starting out I would recommend doing HSPUs before or early in your
workouts as they take a bit more body coordination. But once you are experienced you

can do HSPUs during or after your workouts as well.
My back seems to arch a lot when I try HSPUs and I fall out of the handstand?
What should I do?
This is happening because you are not strong enough in the arms and shoulders to do the
handstand pushup. This may be because it is too difficult a variation or because of fatigue
from prior reps. This happens because in order to try to complete the move your body
wants to use the stronger pectoral muscles. To do this your back arches so that the chest
faces the ground. This same effect happens to people pressing a heavy barbell overhead.
They lean back so much in becomes a sort of standing bench press.
To combat this problem just take the exercise back a notch. Keep your core very tight so
that the arch doesnt occur as much. Stop your reps before your form starts to deteriorate.
Also keep your head straight in line with your arms. Since the body follows the head this
will help keep your back from arching.
When I try a harder variation of the HSPU I find it difficult to maintain my form?
This is very much the same as the previous question. And the advice to correct it is the
same. The best way to progress is to make it as incremental as possible. Use small jumps
in height not big ones. Usually less reps, but more sets, while working at a manageable
level will be best.
I dont think Im working on HSPUs enough to really get better at them? What is
the minimum amount I need to do?
If you want to get good you have to go after it and you have to be consistent. The very
bare minimum to really get better Id say is two times a week. Could you on once a week?
Yes, but in general the more practice the better (up to a point). If you dont have a big
desire to hit a goal in the HSPU maybe you should choose another goal.
I have problems with my feet sliding up and down the wall. What can I do?
This can helped by wearing socks. Of course, youll also need a surface on which they
easily slide. Ive found this especially useful with reverse handstand pushups. This way
you wont need to walk the feet up the wall and you can focus more on the exercise itself.
I have a weak back. Is it possible for me to try handstand pushups?
Yes. In fact by doing handstand pushups correctly youll build a stronger back. Just start
slowly. Work on holding the handstand first and then incorporating HSPUs into your
routine. Its okay for the back to feel sore after working on HSPUs as long as the
soreness goes away and is never crippling. Also you may want to pay particular attention
to keeping a straighter back.

Chapter 12 - Workouts
These workouts vary in difficulty from really easy to the super difficult. Within them you
can still alter the sets, reps, and difficulty of the exercise to suit your needs. In addition
you can use the concepts and alter the workouts to best reach your goals. Either follow the
workouts as they are laid out or make up your own based on all you have learned. They
should give you ideas about what you can do with handstand training.
Except for the workouts in the last section, these focus solely on handstands and HSPUs.
Alone these do not constitute a full workout. This is not a book on other exercises, so just
make sure you are building up the rest of you body as well.
A word about progression. All these workouts are useless if you are not getting better
from one workout to the next. You do not need to advance every single workout, and
there is a time to scale back, but if your general trend is not toward getting stronger than
something is amiss.
You can progress in any number of ways and these have been mentioned before but I will
go over them again here. Doing a more difficult variation of the exercise, adding reps,
adding sets, adding height or weight, adding time, or doing the whole workout in less
time (i.e. compressing the rest periods in between exercises or sets.) You are not striving
for increases in all these at once.

Beginner Workouts
The workouts in this section are for beginners. Anyone that has not completed a HSPU
should start here. There are a few different ones which you can mix up and get ideas
from.
Workout 1
Kick up into a Handstand against the wall and hold it for 3 seconds then come to feet.
Repeat 10 times.
Pike Press 5 x 5
Workout 2
Hold handstands for a total of two minutes. Do this is as many sets as you need. From
workout to workout try to reduce the number of sets you need.
Workout 3
Elevated Pushups x 5-10
HS Shrugs x 10 followed by
Hold Handstand x 10 seconds
Repeat 5-10 times
Workout 4
Isometrics from Headstand position trying to push up 3 x 6 seconds.
Negatives from Handstand x 5 singles
HS Shrugs x 20-30
Hold Handstand for Time
Workout 5
HSPU Partials 5 x 5
Hold Handstand Position as long as you can.
Isometrics from Headstand position trying to push up. 3 x 6 seconds.
Pushups 3x20
Workout 6
HSPU Partials 3x8
Elevated Pushup 3x20
Hold Handstand for Time
Workout 7
Negatives x 10 singles
Pike Press 5x8
Hold Handstand for Time x 3

Intermediate and Advanced Workouts
The following workouts are for intermediate to advanced trainees. Suit the HSPU style
and level to your needs. You can do the more difficult varieties and increase height and
even weight as you progress.
Workout 8
HSPU 5 x 3-10
HS Shrugs x 50
Hold HS for as long as you can
Workout 9
Hardest version of HSPU for you x 10-20 singles
Workout 10
Hardest version of HSPU for you x 10-20 triples
Workout 11
In this workout you start with the hardest variety of HSPU you can and each set you make
it easier by lowering the height or changing the difficulty.
HSPU to failure x 5 sets
HS Shrugs to failure
Handstand to failure
Workout 12
Superset a hard variety with an easier variety. Do 5-10 sets like this.
Hard HSPU x 1-5
Easy HSPU x 8-15
Workout 13
HSPU 8 x 2-5
Workout 14
Reverse HSPU 5x5
Reverse Handstand Hold 3 x 1-2 Minutes
Workout 15
Weighted HSPU 6x4
One Arm Handstand Holds 3 for Time Each Arm
Workout 16
This one also makes a great finisher to any other workout you do. It seems simple but is
far from easy. Try to maintain the same time each set. Start low and work your way up
Handstand x 20 sec - 2 minutes x 3-5 sets. Rest the same amount of time in between sets.
For the advanced person try this with one arm handstands.

Plateau Busting Workouts
The following workouts will break you out of any plateaus you come to. Anytime you are
feeling a little stale mix it up with one of these and you will feel the difference.
Workout 17
Hold with arms bent 135 degrees x 15-60 seconds
Handstand Hold x 15-60 seconds
Workout 18
Negatives (10-15 seconds to go all the way down) x 10
Isometric push into the Floor x 6 seconds x 5
Supersetted with
Isometric Push with arms bent 45 degrees x 6 seconds x 5
Workout 19
Bottom Position HSPU x 10 singles. Do not do the negative.
Isometric push into the Floor x 6 seconds x 5
Supersetted with
Isometric Push with arms bent 45 degrees x 6 seconds x 5
Workout 20
HSPU Partials Bottom Half x 20
HSPU Partials Top Half x 20
Handstand Hold x 15-60 seconds

Full Body Workouts
The following workouts use a few other exercises to get a more complete training. These
include some of the best bang-for-you-buck bodyweight exercises there are, period.
HSPUs and Pullups or Chinnups are antagonistic exercises which work the entire upper
body. An awesome combo. The other exercises can finish off the rest of your body.
HSPU/Pullup Workout
Super-set (go from one exercise to the next without rest)
HSPU x 5-10 sets x 3-10 reps
Pullups x 5-10 sets x 3-10 reps
HSPU/Pullup Workout 2
HSPU & Pullups x 20 minutes
Do as many reps as possible in the allotted time. Stick with the same variation of HSPU
from set to set. Next time you workout try to beat that number in the same amount of
time. Best to start with fairly low number of reps per set like 5 and itll go down as you
fatigue.
Terrible Threesome Workout

Circuit (go from one exercise to the next without rest)
One-Legged Squats x 5-10 sets x 3-10 reps each leg
Fearless Foursome Workout

Circuit (go from one exercise to the next without rest)
One-Legged Squats x 5-10 sets x 3-10 reps each leg
Hanging Leg Raises x 5-10 sets x 3-10 reps

Appendix A - Step-
Step-by-
by-Step Plan for First HSPU
This is a sample plan to reach your first handstand pushup. It will involve three workouts
a week. You can use this plan as is or modify it as you see fit. If you do use it as is, dont
worry if you cant follow along exactly as its laid out. Your progress will certainly be
different then whats written here. If it takes longer than the nine weeks thats fine, just
keep at it. Of course, you may be at the opposite and do it faster. If you have some
handstand experience already you can start out a few weeks ahead.
Week 1
Workout 1
Handstand Hold 3 x 20 seconds
Pushups 3 x 20
Workout 2
Pushups 3 x 25
Workout 3
Pushups 3 x 30
Week 2
Workout 4
Elevated Pushups 3 x 20
Workout 5
Workout 6

Week 3
Workout 7
Handstand Hold 2 x 35 sec
Elevated Pushups 3 x 20 (Increase Height)
Workout 8
Handstand Isometric (Bottom Position) 3 x 6 sec
Handstand Shrugs 3 x 10
Handstand Isometric (Top) 3 x 6 sec
Pike Press 3 x 5
Workout 9
Week 4
Workout 10
Pike Press 4 x 5
Workout 11
Workout 12
Pike Press 5 x 5

Week 5
Workout 13
Elevated Pushups 3 x 20 (Increase Height)
Workout 14
Easy HSPU Negatives 5 singles
Workout 15
Week 6
Workout 16
HSPU Negatives 8 singles
Workout 17
Workout 18
Week 9
Workout 19
Easy HSPU x 1

Appendix B - Training to Reach Full-
Full-Range HSPUs
Training Schedule 1
Workout A
HSPU 5 x 3-5
HS Shrugs
Handstand Hold
Workout B
Full Range Negatives x 10 singles
Isometric Bottom of Full Range 3 x 6 seconds
Isometric Arms at 90 degrees 3 x 6 seconds
Isometric Near Top (Not Locked Out) 3 x 6 seconds
Heres how the progression will work in Workout A. You will do five sets of handstand
pushups. The goal is to do five sets of five. When you hit that goal you increase the
difficulty of the handstand pushup. This means switching variations from easy to medium
to hard. And once you are doing hard HSPUs youll begin adding height. For best results
only increase an inch or two at a time.
When you do increase the difficulty the number of reps you can do will go down. Youll
stay with five sets but they all may be for three reps. If you cant do three reps at the new
difficulty it may have been too big a jump. Make it less difficult so that you can hit at
least three reps.
Finish off the HSPU workout with a single all out set of handstand shrugs followed by
holding the handstand for as long as you can.
This workout is to be done twice a week on a three times a week schedule. For example
Monday and Friday with the other workout on Wednesday. Unlike most AB schedules
you will not reverse it the next week. Workout A stays on Monday and Friday every
week.
For Workout B youll be training the handstand pushups differently. For the negatives try
to use a full-range setup. But if you cannot control yourself the entire range just go with
as much height as you can control. As you get stronger slow down the negative.
The isometrics are to be done in three positions. Build up to 100% of effort and push for
6 seconds. Cycle through the different positions, so do one set of the bottom range, then
mid range, then top, followed again by starting at the bottom.
Follow this workout schedule for at least four to six weeks. You can go longer as long as
you keep making progress. Or switch to the following alternate schedule.

Training Schedule 2
Workout A
HSPU 8 x 2
Workout B
HSPU (Easier Version) 3 x 10-15
Workout C
Bottom Position HSPU 10 singles
Workout D
HSPU 6 x 3
Workout E
Isometric Bottom of Full Range 3 x 6 seconds
Isometric Arms at 90 degrees 3 x 6 seconds
Isometric Near Top (Not Locked Out) 3 x 6 seconds
Workout F
You have two options in this workout schedule. Spread the sets throughout the day to
keep fresh and work on practicing the skill and strength of the move. Or do them all at
one time in a single workout. Both options will work.
This is a six days a week schedule. Because youll be working on HSPUs everyday you
do not want to push to the limits on any given set. Always keep at least one rep in the
bank. This will also make sure you keep real good form as you wont have to fight for
reps.
Pick variations and heights of the HSPUs that will allow you to hit the target number of
sets and reps. Since these sessions involve mostly low reps (singles, doubles, and triples)
youll be doing close to your maximum often. Of course, the name of the game is
progression so you will be seeking to increase your range until you get to full-range
handstand pushups for reps.
After four to six weeks switch back to schedule 1. By taking these different approaches
youll ensure fast progress and not get stale or stuck. You can cycle back and forth
between these programs as long as you want. This program will work great to go beyond
just a single full-range handstand pushup too. Continue on until you can do many reps.
As these workouts in both schedules only focus on HSPUs youll want to train the rest of
your body. You can do that in the same workouts or separately. Youll want to avoid
training the same muscles as those used in HSPUs. Do not overdo it.

Appendix C - How to Build Parallettes
Parallettes are a great training tool for handstands and various other moves. You can buy
them from many different sources but it is easy and cheap to build your own. And this
special report covers just that.
Here are the supplies you are going to need for a pair of parallettes:
PVC or ABS Pipe 10 or 5 Length (Recommend Diameter of 1.5)

Four Elbow Connectors
Four T-Joint Connectors
Eight End Caps
PVC Pipe Glue
Hacksaw (or something else to cut the pipe)
The length of you pipe will be up to you depending on how big of parallettes you want to
build. You can make a small pair of pushup handles or a decent set of mini-parallel bars.
Of course you can modify the size as you see fit for bigger or smaller but just these two
sizes will be given below.
You are going to want to cut it into two long sections which will be the handles where
you place your hands.
Cut four shorter sections which are the legs of each pair. Remember a couple inches can
make a big difference in HSPU so know what you want. You could build a couple
different pairs at different heights as well. The larger parallettes should be big enough to
let anyone go full range. Following the directions below uses a 10 pipe which is what
PVC or ABS pipe tends to come in.
Cut eight short sections to form the feet of the bars.
Here is two examples of how you cut it:

Small Pushup Handles Larger Parallettes
Two 8 sections (handles) Two 24 sections
Four 4 sections (legs) Four 8 sections
Eight 3 sections (feet) Eight 5 sections
From the following picture you should be able to figure out how to put it together. For
extra stability you will want to be sure to glue the pieces together.
If you plan on keeping your parallettes outside I would recommend ABS pipe over PVC
as it is more sun resistant and will not become brittle due to the heat.

About the Author
Logan Christopher was raised in Santa Cruz,

California. Far from being an athletic kid, though he
often participated in sports, he was usually the last
to be picked on the playgrounds.
Being a scrawny and weak kid he began training at

the commercial gyms like everyone else during high
school, getting programs out of the bodybuilding
magazines because that was what the limits of his
exposure. Little if any progress was made though
much money was spent on the latest supplements.
After research he found out that there was a lot

more out there from bodyweight exercises to
kettlebells, hand strength to strongman lifts and
more. He became an avid fan reading about and
training in all these modalities.
He got interested in hand balancing after watching a friend walk on his hands. From that
point on he wanted to become a master at these skills. He scoured the internet looking for
quality information on the subject but did not have much luck. With persistence he
eventually found some old books that taught him how to hand balance. From there he
started practicing various gymnastic and acrobatic moves along with hand balancing and
other training.
In order to help others that were looking for the same kind of information,
www.lostartofhandbalancing.com was born with the release of the now best-selling
book, The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing. From that point on the site has grown
in the quality and quantity of information offered and the products to be found.
But he hasn't stopped there. You can find more on his ideas about strength training and
physical culture on his other sites, including how to do a wide variety of feats of strength
at www.legendarystrength.com and www.kettlebelljuggling.com.
He has gone on to doing live strongman performances in the spirit of the old-time
strongman like the Mighty Atom, Arthur Saxon and many others. Also he won the title of
Combat Conditioning Athlete of the Year in 2008.
He still lives in Santa Cruz, California

Other Books and Courses by Logan Christopher
The True Art and Science of Hand Balancing
Hand Balancing Mastery Course
Secrets of the Handstand Quick Start DVD
Tumbling Illustrated
Advanced Bridging Course
The Definitive Guide to Kettlebell Juggling
Keys to Successful Training Online Course
For information on products or specialized training, contact:
Legendary Strength
319 Harbor Dr.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Email:
logan@legendarystrength.com
Websites:
www.lostartofhandbalancing.com
www.legendarystrength.com
www.kettlebelljuggling.com
www.advancedbridging.com
www.keystosuccessfultraining.com

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The Ultimate Guide to Handstand Pushups

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Chapter 2 - Before You Begin 3

Chapter 3 - Lead-up Exercises 11

Chapter 4 - Handstand Positioning 17

Chapter 5 - Basic Handstand Pushup Exercises 27

Chapter 6 - Advanced Handstand Pushup Exercises 37

Chapter 7 - Extra Tips and Tricks 50

Chapter 9 - One Hand Handstands 59

Chapter 10 - Freestanding Handstand Pushups 63

Chapter 11 - Common Problems 68

Appendix A - Step-by-Step Plan for First HSPU 77

Appendix B - Training to Reach Full-Range HSPUs 80

Appendix C - How to Build Parallettes 82

Copyright 2009 Legendary Strength 1

Thats it for the introduction, so lets get started

Copyright 2009 Legendary Strength 2

In another instance, I kicked up against a small section of wall next to a doorway.

Copyright 2009 Legendary Strength 3

Copyright 2009 Legendary Strength 5

Copyright 2009 Legendary Strength 7

How to Kick-Up into the Handstand

Copyright 2009 Legendary Strength 9

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Arm and Shoulder Position

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But first lets start with two preliminary exercises.

Kick-up into a handstand against the wall. Hold for time.

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You can also try holding handstands in this position.

Heres another challenge. This one requiring explosive strength.

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Identifying & Correcting Weak Links

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Weightlifting and HSPUs

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At a seminar I attended, Brooks Kubik, author of Dinosaur Training available at

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One Hand Handstand - Legs Spread

One Hand Handstand - Legs Together

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One Arm Handstand Pushup